Summary
Staff presented detour options for the full deck replacement of Bridge 119 (Davis Ferry / North Ninth over the Wabash), estimating about 8,000 vehicles per day would be affected and recommending a River Road detour that spreads traffic to minimize hotspot congestion.
Tippecanoe County staff presented detour planning for the full deck replacement of Bridge 119 (Davis Ferry / North Ninth Street Road over the Wabash), scheduled for January and anticipated to close the structure for the season.
Staff said the work is a full deck replacement with approach reconstruction. Early routing options considered included using Dunkin' and Burnetts, routing via Skyler and the I‑65 interchange, and routing traffic through West Lafayette via Soldiers’ Home Road. Staff said the latter alternatives were problematic because a new truck stop and related ramp revisions near the I‑65 interchange could create serious capacity and construction conflicts, while Soldiers’ Home ramps could not handle the anticipated additional volume of roughly 8,000 vehicles per day.
The preferred alternative staff outlined was to catch diverted traffic at Ninth and Salem Union, route vehicles across to River Road, then send traffic up to Burnet and Brown; a secondary portion would catch traffic at Burnet and Duncan and route drivers through the detour. Staff characterized the plan as “spreading the pain” across multiple corridors to avoid overloading any single interchange or ramp. They warned that many drivers ignore signed detours and may choose I‑65 or other routes, but said the recommended River Road option has the best volume capacity and fewest anticipated problems.
Staff asked for board input and reported no formal objection; members noted that circumstances (for example, whether the truck stop development and ramp work goes forward on schedule) could prompt revisions and that staff would switch to other alternatives if conditions changed prior to letting. There was no formal vote; staff will publish the detour plan with the River Road routing as the initial approach and be prepared to revise if the nearby interchange construction progresses.
